Food & Nutrition

Nutrition Standards

Complete Meals

The US Congress passed The Healthy Hunger Free Kids Act and it was implemented across the nation and here at MDUSD in July of 2012. This legislation made the largest changes to the National School Lunch and School Breakfast programs in the program’s history. Some of these changes will be phased in over the next few years. This menu planning approach is a Food Based system patterned after the USDA’s My Plate.

You will notice more variety in our vegetables and larger portion sizes. This year at least ½ of the grains on the menu will be whole grain rich. By school year 2013-14 all of the grains on the menu will be whole grain rich. There are ranges for calories based on grade level.

Breakfast Meal Pattern

Lunch Meal Pattern

Grades K-5

Grades 6-8

Grades 9-12

Grades K-5

Grades 6-8

Grades 9-12

Min-Max Calories

350-500

400-550

450-600

550-650

600-700

750-850

Saturated Fat (% of total calories)

<10

<10

<10

<10

<10

<10

Other Food Sales

California Regulations for Food Sales

The California Administrative Code, Title 5 Section 15500 states that one organization consisting only of pupils, can sell only one food item and it must have governing board approval. The sale must take place after the noon meal. The food cannot be prepared on campus. The food item cannot be one that is sold in the food service program that day at school. The school may only have four sales per school year.

California Education Code, section 49430 outlines the requirements for any foods or beverages sold to students outside of the meal program. These regulations are applied based on grade level.

At the elementary school level only the following may be sold from 1/2 hour prior to the start of the school day to 1/2 hour after the end of the school day:

At the secondary school level the California Administrative Code, Title 5, Section 15501 says that "one organization consisting only of pupils, can sell three categories of items as long as the food does not duplicate what food services is selling and is NOT prepared on campus."

In addition foods must meet the following requirements from California Education Code, section 49430:

* Fruit-based drinks that are composed of no less than 50% juice and have no added sweetener
* Drinking water with no added sweetener
* Milk (2%, 1%, nonfat milk, soy or rice milk
* An electrolyte replacement beverage that contains no more than 42 grams of added sweetener per 20-ounce serving

Food Safety Alert

While any food can become contaminated, moist protein foods are potentially hazardous. Do not sell the following foods: meats, seafood, poultry, cooked rice, cooked beans, and cooked vegetables including potatoes, melons, tofu, eggs and sprouts.

All food must be from approved commercial sources. No home-prepared foods or foods from unlicensed food facilities are allowed.